Newton County, Missouri

Newton County is a county located in the southwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,648. Its county seat is Neosho. The county was organized in 1838 and is named in honor of John Newton, a hero who fought in the Revolutionary War. Newton County is part of the Joplin metropolitan area.

Geography

thumb|250px|View of the Newton County Courthouse

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Jasper County (north)
Lawrence County (northeast)
Barry County (southeast)
McDonald County (south)
Ottawa County, Oklahoma (west)
Cherokee County, Kansas (northwest)

Rivers and creeks

Total river area: ; length:

|----- valign="top"

Baynham Branch
Buffalo Creek
Capps Creek
Clear Creek
Dry Valley Branch

Elm Spring Creek
Five Mile Creek
Harrison Creek
Hickory Creek
Indian Creek
Jones Creek
Lost Creek
Mason Spring Creek

Middle Creek
Rock Branch
Shoal Creek
Silver Creek
Turkey Creek
Warren Branch
Willow Creek

Major highways

20px Interstate 44
20px Interstate 49
20px U.S. Route 60
20px U.S. Route 71
20px Route 43
20px Route 59
20px Route 86
20px Route 175

Transit

Jefferson Lines

National protected area

George Washington Carver National Monument

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Newton County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|39,625

|42,757

|48,642

|50,967

|style='background: #ffffe6; |47,551

|97.71%

|96.20%

|92.41%

|87.70%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |81.08%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|132

|173

|298

|429

|style='background: #ffffe6; |523

|0.33%

|0.39%

|0.57%

|0.74%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.89%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|452

|937

|1,143

|1,286

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,351

|1.11%

|2.11%

|2.17%

|2.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.30%

|Asian alone (NH)

|87

|223

|166

|758

|style='background: #ffffe6; |798

|0.21%

|0.50%

|0.32%

|1.30%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.36%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|144

|488

|style='background: #ffffe6; |790

|0.27%

|0.84%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.35%

|Other race alone (NH)

|37

|33

|40

|style='background: #ffffe6; |138

|0.09%

|0.00%

|0.06%

|0.07%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.24%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|1,063

|1,609

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,890

|2.02%

|2.77%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.63%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|222

|353

|1,147

|2,537

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,607

|0.55%

|0.79%

|2.18%

|4.37%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.15%

|Total

|40,555

|44,445

|52,636

|58,114

|style='background: #ffffe6; |58,648

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 58,648. The median age was 40.4 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.9 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 82.5% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 2.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, 1.4% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.1% from some other race, and 8.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.2% of the population.

Carl Junction R-I School District
Diamond R-IV School District
East Newton County R-VI School District
Joplin School District
McDonald County R-I School District
Neosho R-V School District
Pierce City R-VI School District
Sarcoxie R-II School District
Seneca R-VII School District
Wheaton R-III School District

There is also a single elementary school district, Westview C-6 School District.

Neosho (PK–12) – Pentecostal Ozark Christian Academy
Racine Apostolic Christian School – Racine (PK–12) – Pentecostal
Trinity Learning Center [Neosho, Missouri] (K-12) [Protestant]

Post-secondary

Crowder College – Neosho. A two-year junior college.

Public libraries

Neosho/Newton County Library

Communities

Cities

Diamond
Fairview
Granby
Joplin (mostly in Jasper County)
Neosho (county seat)
Seneca

Villages

Cliff Village
Dennis Acres
Grand Falls Plaza
Leawood
Loma Linda
Newtonia
Redings Mill
Ritchey
Saginaw
Shoal Creek Drive
Shoal Creek Estates
Silver Creek
Stark City
Stella
Wentworth

Unincorporated communities

Aroma
Belfast
Berwick
Boulder City
Christopher
Gregg
Hornet
Jolly
June
McElhany
Monark Springs
Pepsin
Racine
Spring City
Spurgeon
Sweetwater
Talmage City
Tipton Ford
Wanda

Townships

Benton
Berwick
Buffalo
Dayton
Five Mile
Franklin
Granby
Marion
Neosho
Newtonia
Seneca
Shoal Creek
Van Buren
West Benton

Politics

Local

The Republican Party completely controls politics at the local level in Newton County. Republicans hold every elected position in the county.

State

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Past Gubernatorial Elections Results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

! Republican

! Democratic

! Third Parties

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2024

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|79.07% 22,795

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|18.95% 5,464

|align="center" |1.98% 571

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2020

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|77.89% 22,031

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|20.12% 5,692

|align="center" |1.99% 562

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2016

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|71.92% 19,123

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|24.85% 6,607

|align="center" |3.23% 860

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2012

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|57.88% 14,483

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|39.48% 9,880

|align="center" |2.64% 661

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2008

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|61.85% 15,570

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|36.29% 9,134

|align="center" |1.86% 468

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2004

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|75.23% 17,935

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|23.75% 5,662

|align="center" |1.02% 242

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2000

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|66.05% 13,917

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|32.18% 6,780

|align="center" |1.77% 373

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|1996

|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|58.15% 10,445

|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|39.60% 7,114

|align="center" |2.25% 404

Newton County is divided into four districts in the Missouri House of Representatives, all of which are held by Republicans.

District 159 — Bill Lant (R) Pineville) Consists of the communities of Fairview, Newtonia, Racine, Ritchey, Seneca, Stark City, and Stella.

District 160 — Bill Reiboldt (R-Neosho). Consists of the communities of Diamond, Granby, Loma Linda, Neosho, Wentworth, and part of Silver Creek.

District 161 — Bill White (R-Joplin). Consists of the communities of Leawood, Redings Mill, and parts of Joplin and Silver Creek.

District 162 — Charlie Davis (R-Webb City). Consists of a small part of the southeastern section of Joplin.

All of Newton County is a part of Missouri's 32nd District in the Missouri Senate and is represented by Ron Richard (R-Joplin).

Federal

All of Newton County is included in Missouri's 7th Congressional District and is represented by Eric Burlison(Republican) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

References

External links

- Official website
Rootsweb, Newton County, Missouri
Digitized 1930 Plat Book of Newton County from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books
[https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html]